January 6

Events

Pre-1600

• 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1205 – Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1322 – Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia, having defeated his half-brother Stefan Konstantin in battle. His son is crowned "young king" in the same ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1355 – Charles IV of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1449 – Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1492 – The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada at the conclusion of the Granada War.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1536 – The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1579 – The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1641 – Arauco War: The first Parliament of Quillín is celebrated, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile.<ref name=barana268>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1661 – English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England. The revolt is suppressed after a few days.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1721 – The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1724 – Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, a Bach cantata, for Epiphany, is performed the first time.<ref>Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen BWV 65; BC A 27 Template:Webarchive Bach Digital</ref>
• 1725 – J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123, a chorale cantata for Epiphany.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1781 – In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1809 – Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1838 – Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1839 – The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1847 – Samuel Colt obtains his first contract for the sale of revolver pistols to the United States government.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1870 – The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1900 – Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1901–present

• 1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome, Italy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1912 – New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1929 – King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution, starting the January 6th Dictatorship.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1929 – Mother Teresa arrives by sea in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India's poorest and sick people.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1930 – Clessie Cummins arrives at the National Automobile Show in New York City, having driven a car powered by one of his diesel engines from Indianapolis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1941 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1946 – The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1947 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• 1950 – The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with the UK in response.
• 1951 – Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1960 – National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami.<ref>Civil Aeronautics Board File No. 1-0002, pp. 1,12</ref>
• 1960 – The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1967 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1968 – Aeroflot Flight 1668 crashes near Olyokminsk, killing 45.<ref name="asn">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashes in Lafayette Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States, killing 11.<ref name="NTSB AAR-70-10 Final Report">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1974 – In response to the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1974 – Aeroflot Flight H-75 crashes near Mukachevo, killing 24.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1989 – Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1992 – President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1993 – Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1993 – Four people are killed when Lufthansa CityLine Flight 5634 crashes on approach to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, France.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and injured by an assailant hired by her rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1995 – A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2000 – The last natural Pyrenean ibex, Celia, is killed by a falling tree, thus making the species extinct.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2005 – Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner during the American Civil Rights Movement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2005 – A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>
• 2017 – Five people are killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2019 – Forty people are killed in a gold mine collapse in Badakhshan province, in northern Afghanistan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2019 – Muhammad V of Kelantan resigns as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, becoming the first monarch to do so.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – Americans storm the United States Capitol Building to disrupt certification of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in four deaths and evacuation of the U.S. Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2025 – Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister of Canada after 9 years in office.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Births

Pre-1600

• 1256 – Gertrude the Great, German mystic (d. 1302)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1367 – Richard II of England (d. 1400)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1384 – Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent (d. 1408)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1412 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (d. 1431)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1486 – Martin Agricola, German composer and theorist (d. 1556)<ref name="Wier1938">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1488 – Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1493 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (d. 1552)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1500 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (d. 1569)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1525 – Caspar Peucer, German physician and scholar (d. 1602)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1538 – Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria (d. 1612)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1561 – Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1587 – Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares (d. 1645)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1595 – Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French educator and courtier (d. 1650)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>

1601–1900

• 1617 – Christoffer Gabel, Danish politician (d. 1673)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1632 – Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, Scottish peeress (d. 1716)<ref>G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume VI, page 264.</ref>
• 1655 – Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg (d. 1720)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1673 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (d. 1744)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1695 – Giuseppe Sammartini, Italian oboe player and composer (d. 1750)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1702 – José de Nebra, Spanish composer (d. 1768)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 1714 – Percivall Pott, English surgeon (d. 1788)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1745 – Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, French co-inventor of the hot air balloon (d. 1799)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1766 – José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, Paraguayan lawyer and politician, first dictator of Paraguay (d. 1840)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1785 – Andreas Moustoxydis, Greek historian and philologist (d. 1860)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1793 – James Madison Porter, American lawyer and politician, 18th United States Secretary of War (d. 1862)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1795 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (d. 1871)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1799 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (d. 1831)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1803 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1888)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1807 – Joseph Petzval, German-Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1808 – Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American conchologist and paleontologist (d. 1864)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1811 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (d. 1874)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1822 – Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist and businessman (d. 1890)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1832 – Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1838 – Max Bruch, German composer and conductor (d. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1842 – Clarence King, American geologist, mountaineer, and critic (d. 1901)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1856 – Giuseppe Martucci, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1909)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1857 – Hugh Mahon, Irish-Australian publisher and politician, 10th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography</ref>
• 1857 – William Russell, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
• 1859 – Samuel Alexander, Australian-English philosopher and academic (d. 1938)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1860 – Morton Selten, British actor (d. 1939)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1861 – Victor Horta, Belgian architect, designed Hôtel van Eetvelde (d. 1947)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1861 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (d. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1870 – Gustav Bauer, German journalist and politician, 11th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1944)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1872 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1915)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1874 – Fred Niblo, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1948)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1878 – Adeline Genée, Danish-born British ballerina (d. 1970)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1878 – Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1880 – Tom Mix, American cowboy and actor (d. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1881 – Ion Minulescu, Romanian author, poet, and critic (d. 1944)<ref>Matei Călinescu, "Prefaţă" ("Introduction"), "Tabel cronologic" ("Chronological Table"), in Ion Minulescu, Romanţe pentru mai târziu şi alte poezii ("Songs for Later On and Other Poems"), Editura pentru literatură, Bucharest, 1967, p. V-XLX. Template:OCLC</ref>
• 1882 – Fan S. Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1965)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1882 – Sam Rayburn, American lawyer and politician, 48th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1883 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (d. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1891 – Ted McDonald, Australian cricketer (d. 1937)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1898 – James Fitzmaurice, Irish soldier and pilot (d. 1965)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1899 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (d. 1968)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1900 – Maria of Yugoslavia, Queen of Yugoslavia (d. 1961)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

1901–present

• 1903 – Maurice Abravanel, Greek-American pianist and conductor (d. 1993)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1910 – Kid Chocolate, Cuban boxer (d. 1988)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1910 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (d. 1998)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1910 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (d. 1989)
• 1912 – Jacques Ellul, French philosopher and critic (d. 1994)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor, comedian, producer, and humanitarian (d. 1991)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1913 – Edward Gierek, Polish lawyer and politician (d. 2001)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1914 – Godfrey Edward Arnold, Austrian-American physician and academic (d. 1989)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1915 – Don Edwards, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2015)<ref name=MercuryNews>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1915 – John C. Lilly, American psychoanalyst, physician, and philosopher (d. 2001)<ref>Template:Cite book [Reprinted 1962, Gollancz, Template:ISBN].</ref>
• 1915 – Alan Watts, English-American philosopher and author (d. 1973)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1916 – Park Mok-wol, influential Korean poet and academic (d. 1978)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1917 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (d. 2005)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1920 – Henry Corden, Canadian-born American actor (d. 2005)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1920 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (d. 2004)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1920 – Sun Myung Moon, Korean religious leader; founder of the Unification Church (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1920 – Early Wynn, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1999)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1921 – Marianne Grunberg-Manago, Russian-French biochemist and academic (d. 2013)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1921 – Cary Middlecoff, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1998)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1923 – Vladimir Kazantsev, Russian runner (d. 2007)
• 1923 – Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1974)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1923 – Jacobo Timerman, Argentinian journalist and author (d. 1999)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1924 – Kim Dae-jung, South Korean soldier and politician, 8th President of South Korea, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1924 – Earl Scruggs, American banjo player (d. 2012)<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1925 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (d. 2005)<ref name=autogenerated1 />
• 1926 – Ralph Branca, American baseball player (d. 2016)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1926 – Pat Flaherty, American race car driver (d. 2002)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1927 – Jesse Leonard Steinfeld, American physician and academic, 11th Surgeon General of the United States (d. 2014)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1928 – Capucine, French actress and model (d. 1990)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1930 – Vic Tayback, American actor (d. 1990)
• 1931 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 2015)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1932 – Simon Oates, English actor (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1932 – Stuart A. Rice, American chemist and academic (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1933 – John Clive, English actor and author (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1933 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2003)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1934 – Harry M. Miller, New Zealand-Australian talent agent and publicist (d. 2018)<ref name=dead>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1934 – Sylvia Syms, English actress (d. 2023)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1935 – Ian Meckiff, Australian cricketer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1935 – Nino Tempo, American musician, singer, and actor (d. 2025)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1936 – Darlene Hard, American tennis player (d. 2021)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1936 – Julio María Sanguinetti, Uruguayan journalist, lawyer, and politician, 29th President of Uruguay<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1937 – Ludvík Daněk, Czech discus thrower (d. 1998)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1937 – Lou Holtz, American football player, coach, and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1937 – Doris Troy, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and director<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1938 – Adrienne Clarke, Australian botanist and academic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1938 – Rajnikumar Pandya, Indian writer, journalist (d. 2025)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1938 – Larisa Shepitko, Soviet film director, screenwriter, and actress (d. 1979)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1939 – Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2002)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1939 – Murray Rose, English-Australian swimmer and sportscaster (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1940 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1979)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1943 – Terry Venables, English footballer and manager (d. 2023)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress and singer (d. 2013)<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1944 – Alan Stivell, French singer-songwriter and harp player<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1944 – Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (d. 2024)
• 1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1947 – Sandy Denny, English folk-rock singer-songwriter (d. 1978)<ref name="Houghton2015">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1948 – Guy Gardner, American colonel and astronaut<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1948 – Dayle Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1949 – Mike Boit, Kenyan runner and academic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1949 – Carolyn D. Wright, American poet and academic (d. 2016)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – Louis Freeh, American lawyer and jurist, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1951 – Don Gullett, American baseball player and coach<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (d. 2024)
• 1951 – Kim Wilson, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1953 – Malcolm Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1954 – Anthony Minghella, English director and screenwriter (d. 2008)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1955 – Rowan Atkinson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1955 – Debbie Mathers, Mother of Eminem (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1956 – Elizabeth Strout, American novelist and short story writer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1956 – Justin Welby, English archbishop<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1956 – Clive Woodward, English rugby player and coach<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1957 – Michael Foale, British-American astrophysicist and astronaut<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1957 – Nancy Lopez, American golfer and sportscaster<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
• 1958 – Shlomo Glickstein, Israeli tennis player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1959 – Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1960 – Paul Azinger, American golfer and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1960 – Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1960 – Nigella Lawson, English chef and author<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1960 – Howie Long, American football player and sports commentator<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1961 – Georges Jobé, Belgian motocross racer (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1961 – Nigel Melville, English rugby player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1961 – Peter Whittle, British politician, author, journalist, and broadcaster<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1963 – Norm Charlton, American baseball player and coach<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1963 – Paul Kipkoech, Kenyan runner (d. 1995)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1964 – Charles Haley, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1964 – Jyrki Kasvi, Finnish journalist and politician (d. 2021)<ref>Kallionpää, Martta: Vihreiden entinen kansanedustaja Jyrki Kasvi on kuollut Template:Webarchive, Helsingin Sanomat 17 November 2021. Accessed on 17 November 2021.</ref>
• 1964 – Jacqueline Moore, American wrestler and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1965 – Bjørn Lomborg, Danish author and academic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1966 – Sharon Cuneta, Filipino singer and actress<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1966 – Attilio Lombardo, Italian footballer and manager
• 1967 – A. R. Rahman, Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician, and philanthropist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1968 – John Singleton, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)<ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Dead link</ref>
• 1969 – Norman Reedus, American actor and model<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1969 – Aron Eisenberg, American actor and podcaster (d. 2019)<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1970 – Julie Chen, American television journalist, presenter, and producer
• 1970 – Radoslav Látal, Czech footballer and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1970 – Gabrielle Reece, American volleyball player, sportscaster, and actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1971 – Irwin Thomas, American-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1973 – Vasso Karantasiou, Greek beach volleyball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Marlon Anderson, American baseball player and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Daniel Cordone, Argentinian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Paul Grant, American basketball player and coach<ref>NBA & college stats Template:Webarchive, retrieved 15 June 2007.</ref>
• 1975 – James Farrior, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1976 – Johan Davidsson, Swedish ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1976 – Danny Pintauro, American actor<ref name="AP">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1976 – Richard Zedník, Slovak ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1978 – Casey Fossum, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1978 – Bubba Franks, American football player<ref name=ESPN>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
• 1981 – Asante Samuel, American football player<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1982 – Gilbert Arenas, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1982 – Roy Asotasi, New Zealand rugby league player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1982 – Tiffany Pollard, American television personality<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1982 – Eddie Redmayne, English actor and model<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Adam Burish, American ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Chen Nan, Chinese basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1984 – A. J. Hawk, American football player and analyst<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1984 – Kate McKinnon, American actress and comedian<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1984 – Eric Trump, American businessman<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1986 – Paul McShane, Irish footballer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1986 – Petter Northug, Norwegian skier<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1986 – Alex Turner, English singer, songwriter, and musician<ref name="AP"/>
• 1987 – Arin Hanson, American YouTuber<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>
• 1987 – Bongani Khumalo, South African footballer<ref name="B. Khumalo">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1987 – Ndamukong Suh, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1989 – Andy Carroll, English footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1989 – Sergio León, Spanish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1989 – Derrick Morgan, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Sean Kilpatrick, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Alex Teixeira, Brazilian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Duarte Alves, Portuguese politician<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Will Barton, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Kevin Gausman, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Corey Conners, Canadian professional golfer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1993 – Pat Connaughton, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1993 – Jesús Manuel Corona, Mexican footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Catriona Gray, Filipino-Australian model, singer and beauty queen, Miss Universe 2018<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Denis Suárez, Spanish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Jameis Winston, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Jay B, South Korean singer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Polo G, American rapper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Mac McClung, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Kwon Eun-bin, South Korean singer and actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Jack McBain, Canadian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Shuhua, Taiwanese singer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2001 – Kenyon Martin Jr., American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2004 – Roméo Lavia, Belgian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 786 – Abo of Tiflis, Iraqi martyr and saint (b. 756)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1088 – Berengar of Tours, French scholar and theologian (b. 999)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1148 – Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1100)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1233 – Matilda of Chester, Countess of Huntingdon, Anglo-Norman noblewoman (b. 1171)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1275 – Raymond of Penyafort, Catalan archbishop and saint (b. 1175)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1350 – Giovanni I di Murta, second doge of the Republic of Genoa
• 1358 – Gertrude van der Oosten, Beguine mystic
• 1406 – Roger Walden, English bishop<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1448 – Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1418)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1477 – Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme (b. 1425)
• 1478 – Uzun Hasan, 9th Shahanshah of the Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu dynasty (b. 1423)
• 1481 – Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, Mongolian ruler
• 1537 – Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)
• 1537 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter, designed the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne (b. 1481)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1616 – Philip Henslowe, English impresario (b. 1550)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1646 – Elias Holl, German architect, designed the Augsburg Town Hall (b. 1573)
• 1689 – Seth Ward, English bishop, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1617)
• 1693 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (b. 1642)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1711 – Philips van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)
• 1718 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1664)
• 1725 – Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1653)
• 1731 – Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (b. 1672)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1734 – John Dennis, English playwright and critic (b. 1657)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1813 – Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers, French general (b. 1764)
• 1829 – Josef Dobrovský, Czech philologist and historian (b. 1753)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1831 – Rodolphe Kreutzer, French violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1766)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1840 – Frances Burney, English author and playwright (b. 1752)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1852 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (b. 1809)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1855 – Giacomo Beltrami, Italian jurist, explorer, and author (b. 1779)
• 1882 – Richard Henry Dana Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1815)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1884 – Gregor Mendel, Czech geneticist and botanist (b. 1822)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1885 – Bharatendu Harishchandra, Indian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1850)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1901–present

• 1902 – Lars Hertervig, Norwegian painter (b. 1830)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1917 – Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch economist and historian (b. 1834)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• 1918 – Georg Cantor, German mathematician and philosopher (b. 1845)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States (b. 1858)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1921 – Devil Anse Hatfield, American guerrilla leader (b. 1839)
• 1922 – Jakob Rosanes, Ukrainian-German mathematician and chess player (b. 1842)
• 1928 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and long jumper (b. 1876)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1928 – Wilhelm Ramsay, Finnish geologist and professor (b. 1865)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1933 – Vladimir de Pachmann, Ukrainian-German pianist (b. 1848)
• 1934 – Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)
• 1937 – André Bessette, Canadian saint (b. 1845)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1939 – Gustavs Zemgals, Latvian journalist and politician, 2nd President of Latvia (b. 1871)
• 1941 – Charley O'Leary, American baseball player and coach (b. 1882)
• 1942 – Emma Calvé, French soprano and actress (b. 1858)
• 1942 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman, 3rd President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1876)
• 1944 – Jacques Rosenbaum, Estonian-German architect (b. 1878)
• 1944 – Ida Tarbell, American journalist, reformer, and educator (b. 1857)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1945 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist and chemist (b. 1863)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1949 – Victor Fleming, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1883)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1966 – Jean Lurçat, French painter (b. 1892)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1972 – Chen Yi, Chinese general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (b. 1901)
• 1974 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (b. 1896)
• 1978 – Burt Munro, New Zealand motorcycle racer (b. 1899)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1981 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish physician and author (b. 1896)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1984 – Ernest Laszlo, Hungarian-American cinematographer (b. 1898)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1990 – Ian Charleson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1949)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1990 – Pavel Cherenkov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 1991 – Alan Wiggins, American baseball player (b. 1958)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1992 – Steve Gilpin, New Zealand vocalist and songwriter (b. 1949)<ref name="Benefit">Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1993 – Dizzy Gillespie, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (b. 1917)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1993 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (b. 1938)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1995 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African lawyer and politician (b. 1926)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1999 – Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (b. 1962)<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 2004 – Pierre Charles, Dominican educator and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2005 – Eileen Desmond, Irish civil servant and politician, 12th Irish Minister for Health (b. 1932)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2005 – Lois Hole, Canadian academic and politician, 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1929)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2005 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2006 – Lou Rawls, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, American political scientist, historian, and academic (b. 1912)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2008 – Shmuel Berenbaum, Rabbi of Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn) (b. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2009 – Ron Asheton, American guitarist, songwriter, and actor (probable;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> b. 1948)
• 2011 – Uche Okafor, Nigerian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1967)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Bob Holness, South African-English radio and television host (b. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2012 – Spike Pola, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1914)
• 2013 – Ruth Carter Stevenson, American art collector, founded the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2014 – Marina Ginestà, French Resistance soldier and photographer (b. 1919)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2014 – Nelson Ned, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2014 – Julian Rotter, American psychologist and academic (b. 1916)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2015 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (b. 1918)
• 2015 – Basil John Mason, English meteorologist and academic (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2016 – Pat Harrington, Jr., American actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Florence King, American journalist and author (b. 1936)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Christy O'Connor Jnr, Irish golfer and architect (b. 1948)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Silvana Pampanini, Italian model, actress, and director, Miss Italy 1946 (b. 1925)<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 2017 – Octavio Lepage, Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2017 – Om Puri, Indian actor (b. 1950)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2019 – José Ramón Fernández, Cuban revolution leader (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – Lamin Sanneh, Gambian-born American professor (b. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – W. Morgan Sheppard, British actor (b. 1932)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – Paul Streeten, Austrian-born British economics professor (b. 1917)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2020 – Richard Maponya, South African businessman (b. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – Gordon Renwick, Canadian ice hockey administrator and businessman (b. 1935)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – James Cross, British diplomat kidnapped during the 1970 October crisis in Québec (b. 1921)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2022 – Peter Bogdanovich, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1939)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2022 – Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, director, and diplomat (b. 1927)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2022 – Francisco Sionil Jose, Philippine novelist (b. 1924)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2023 – Mary Lou Kownacki, American Roman Catholic nun, peace activist, and writer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast day:
  • André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Christmas:
  • Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)<ref name=Crump>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Christmas Eve (Russia)<ref name=BBC2025>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Christmas Eve (Ukraine)<ref name=BBC2025 />
• Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Little Christmas (Ireland)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Þrettándinn (Iceland)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

External links

• BBC: On This Day Template:Webarchive
• Template:NYT On this day
• Historical Events on January 6 Template:Webarchive